The Chesapeake Bay and the Control of NOx Emissions: A Policy Analysis

Nitrogen oxide emissions not only affect air quality but have recently been found to be an important source of nitrate pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. This analysis examines the costs, emissions, source-specific and location-specific allocations of NOX emissions reductions and the ancillary ozone related health benefits under a range of policy scenarios. The paper includes analysis of three separate policies. The first is a detailed analysis of the effect on nitrate loadings to the Bay of command and control policies specified in the Clean Air Act and as part of the OTAG process. The second is a comparison of alternative scenarios for reducing NOX emissions that meet nitrate loading goals, with or without concern for reducing ozone concentrations and the health effects they cause. The third is a comparison of alternative approaches to allocate NOX emissions to meet NOX reduction and ozone exposure goals while capturing the ancillary effect on nitrate loadings. This last analysis focuses on the stake the Bay jurisdictions have in the outcome of negotiations over NOX trading programs being developed by EPA for reducing ozone in the Eastern U.S. With the primary focus on the Chesapeake Bay jurisdiction, all three analyses integrate the ancillary ozone benefits of policies to reduce nitrate pollution, including examination of how these ancillary benefits change under alternative meteorological episodes, and explore lower cost alternatives to current regulatory programs in both qualitative and quantitative terms. We find that the Chesapeake Bay benefits from efforts to reduce NOX emissions to meet the ambient air quality standard for ozone. Airborne NOX emission reductions slated to occur under the Clean Air Act in the Bay airshed will reduce nitrate loadings to the Bay by about 27 percent of the baseline airborne levels. The additional controls of NOX contemplated in what we term the OTAG scenario is estimated to result in an additional 20 percent reduction from this baseline. However, the paper's analysis of possible least cost options shows that the costs of obtaining such reductions can be significantly reduced by rearranging the allocation of emissions reductions to take advantage of source-type and locational considerations. In addition, we find that adding consideration of ancillary ozone-related health benefits to the picture does not alter any qualitative conclusions. Quantitatively, unless a link between ozone and mortality risk is assumed, the benefits are too small to affect the cost-saving allocations of NOX reductions. If the case for such a link can be made, the results change dramatically, with large overall increases in NOX reductions and a relative shift in controls to non-Bay states and utility sources. These specific effects are sensitive to the source-receptor coefficients linking NOX to ozone, however. Our analyses also suggest that the Bay jurisdictions have a stake in the outcome of the NOX trading debate -- that some trading designs can lead to better outcomes for these jurisdictions than others. Nevertheless, a common feature of cost-savings policies is that they both rearrange emissions reductions and, in the aggregate, reduce emissions less than a command and control system. Thus, some trading regimes result in significantly smaller loadings reductions (up to 25 percent smaller) than the command and control approach.

Teaching and Learning Competencies Valued by Engineering Educators: A Pilot Study

At the onset of this paper, it is important to provide context by highlighting two backdrop narratives, which have prompted and guided this research project:-(i) Since 2015, The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Ireland has undergone an extensive consultation process on professional development, resulting in a guiding document entitled the National Professional Development Framework (NPDF) for Staff Who Teach in Higher Education [1].(ii) The Technological University Alliance for Dublin has placed Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) and Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) on a merger trajectory towards technological university designation [2] under the Technological Universities Act 2018. Project Levitus is a cross-institute initiative tasked to develop and pilot a disciplinaryspecific (engineering) version of the NPDF, transferrable to other academic disciplines. A steering committee, comprising of engineering educators, teaching and learning specialists, academic managers and HR representatives, has guided the project

An examination of Eyal & Hurst’s (2008) framework for promoting retention in resource-poor settings through locally-relevant training: A case study for the University of Guyana Surgical Training Program

Background: Eyal and Hurst proposed that locally relevant medical education can offset the prevalence of physician “brain drain” in resource-poor regions of the world, and presented a framework of the ethical and pragmatic benefits and concerns posed by these initiatives. The present study explored the framework’s utility through a case study of the University of Guyana Diploma in Surgery (UGDS) programMethods: The framework’s utility was evaluated using a case study designthat included review and analysis of documents and semi-structured interviews with graduates, trainees, faculty members, and policy makers associated with the UGDS program. Data were analyzed from constructivist and interpretivist perspectives, and compared against the benefits and concerns described by Eyal and Hurst.Results: The framework is a useful template for capturing the breadth of experience of locally relevant training in the Guyanese setting. However, the results suggest that delineating the framework factors as either beneficial or concerning may constrict its applicability. The case study design also provided specific insights about the UGDS program, which indicate that the Program has promoted the retention of graduates and a sustainable culture of postgraduate medical education in Guyana.Conclusion: It is suggested that the framework be modified so as to represent the benefits and concerns of locally relevant training along a continuum of advantage. These approaches may help us understand retention within a resource-poor country, but also within particularly remote areas and public health care systems generally

Comparing Usability and Variance of Low- and High Technology Approaches to Gait Analysis in Health Adults

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the usability, reliability, and objectivity of four tools that represented varying gait analysis technologies used in clinical practice and/or research. Low technology clinical tools included the Gait Abnormality Rating Scale (GARS-M) and the Rancho Los Amigos Observational Gait Analysis (Rancho OGA). High technology tools included the GAITRiteÒ computerized walkway, and the APDM Mobility LabÔ wearable sensor system. Subjects: 74 healthy adults ages 18-41 years (mean = 24.82, SD = 4.39) 33 males and 40 females. Methods: Subjects were instructed to walk at a self-selected speed for two minutes during which clinical and spatiotemporal gait characteristics were measured concurrently using the four tools. Results: A qualitative analysis was created to display usability characteristics for each tool. GARS-M and Rancho OGA yielded fair to moderate Inter-rater reliability scores (K=0.41, K=0.31) and moderate Intra-rater reliability scores (ICC3,2=0.65, ICC3,2 = 0.64, ICC3,2=0.48, ICC3,2=0.53). Comparison analysis of GARS-M and Rancho OGA resulted in a high specificity (Sp=0.96) and high positive likelihood ratio (+LR=13.6). No significant difference was found between the seven gait variables measured by GAITRite® and Mobility LabÔ however Pearson correlation analysis showed significant correlations between three of seven measured gait variables: cadence(p\u3c0.001), gait cycle time(p=\u3c0.001), and double limb support % of cycle(p=0.026). Conclusion: This study showed the GARS-M and Rancho OGA may be useful for clinical gait analysis but objective data are not comparable to the high technology tools. The GAITRiteÒ offers desirable objective data for research but usability factors and high cost may deter its use in the clinic. Mobility LabÔ may be the most suitable for both clinical and research use as it offers objective data combined with established clinical measures and more favorable usability factors compared to GAITRiteÒ